Thursday, January 28, 2010

Who Does God Want to be Elders?

"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you--if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:5-9).

God is looking for men who are above reproach to serve as overseers and pastors in his church. In other words, God insists that a leader in his churches be...

*the husband of one wife. He must be a man who is faithful to his wife. His relationship with his wife will be a model of how Christ loves his church.

*a father whose children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. He must be one who can lead his children in the right way. (I have read commentaries that downplay this quality in a pastor; but as a father, I have some understanding of why God requires this now. Children do not grow up naturally to be faithful and decent human beings. Fathers need to work to ensure that this happens. Such experience is absolutely required for the work of an overseer.)

*a man who is not arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. He cannot be one who thinks he knows everything. He cannot walk around with a chip on his shoulder, looking for an argument or a fight. He cannot allow drugs or alcohol to gain control over him. He cannot beat up his wife, his children, or others under his care. He cannot be a man who would cheat or steal or lie in order to get what he wants from another. Such characteristics will destroy a man and the church he is called to care for.

*a man who is hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He needs to be a friendly and generous man, a man who will share his time and his resources to benefit another. He must love the good things in life...things like honor, kindness, justice, and purity. He needs to be in control of his actions and reactions. He needs to be stable and reliable. He must be ethical...to the point that others would say that there is something different about him. His honesty should never be questioned by any rational person.

*a man who holds firm to the trustworthy word as taught by the apostles and prophets. He needs to be able to teach healthy doctrine that conforms with the will of God, doctrine that accurately conveys God's message for people within the church and beyond. He will need to be able to handle the word of God with enough expertise to defend it against those who would deny it or try to change it. (An elder may need to challenge a preacher with a doctorate in theology if that preacher is denying such fundamental teachings as the inerrancy of Scripture, the need for faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved, or the omniscience of God. He needs to be prepared to recognize sound doctrine from unhealthy faith-destroying doctrine; and he needs to have the courage to defend the good and to challenge the bad...even when he must take on a popular false teacher within his congregation.)

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Bible Quotations

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. All unmarked Scripture quotations prior to 2010 were taken from the New International Version (NIV).